Friday, June 16, 2006

A night out with the boys

Last night Vern and I had planned to get together, drink a beer or two and rag each other mercilessly. We try and do that every couple of months though I fear my travel schedule (always random) has interfered. Fortunately my travel has been considerably reduced this year (I've only done 5 business trips so far this year) and it was looking good for tonight.

Of course things couldn't be that simple could they? Our customer over in the Philippines scheduled a teleconference (without consulting me) for this evening. I sent an email advising that I couldn't make their time due to prior committments. My friends also count in my life.

We were joined by a new guy, Guy[^] whose been commenting a bit on my posts of late. Somehow I thought he was in South Africa and was quite surprised to discover he now lives a couple of miles up the road from me.

With that knowledge it was easy to post an invite to join us.

I think tonight was the first time I ever saw someone outtalk Vern. That takes quite some doing let me tell you. It's not a feat I've ever managed, though I've tried!

The conversation ranged widely; Vern was surprised to discover that compulsory military service exists in many more than the three or four countries he'd imagined it did. From there to a discussion of the early history of Ghandi (both Guy and Vern flatly refused to believe that Ghandi was politically active in South Africa in 1902, both arguing that it had to have been during World War 2). But then again, neither of them had known that Ghandi was born in 1869.

That discussion led to the mention of an opera, Satyagraha[^] by Philip Glass which in turn led to Vern saying something like 'Oh no, not Philip Glass again!'. Hmm, that makes four of my friends who contemptuously dismiss Philip Glass. Maybe they're trying to tell me something but if so I'm being stubborn in refusing to hear!

Thence to some of the more obscure requirements of naturalisation as a US citizen with a digression into the bartending habits of Australians in London.

Quite the evening. I record that it was a pleasure to meet Guy and spend a few hours with him. I hope we'll do it again.

What blokey bonding post would be complete without the observation that the barmaid had the largest breasts I've *ever* seen!?